Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro:
Hit from the blind side.
To attack or hit from an unexpected direction or from an area that is unprepared.
If you’ve ever said, “I never saw that one coming,” you’ve been blind sided.
Listen Up!
Pergamum
Actual capital city of the Asia Minor region.
~35 miles NE of Smyrna.
On a plateau about 1,000 feet above the valley.
Site of largest library outside of Alexandria.
200,000 + volumes (handwritten)
Temples to Zeus, Athena (victory goddess), Asclepius (serpent god of healing).
29 BC, Augustus allowed city to build a temple to the emperor’s cult.
Proconsul had the “right of the sword.”
Allowed to sentence to death and to execute.
“Thus says” to the leader of the church in Pergamum.
Links Christ’s words with Yahweh.
Divine message.
All the components of active antagonism to disciples of Christ are present.
Mandatory emperor worship
Unbelieving Jews
intersection of idolatry, commerce and citizenship
Two-edged sword.
The true authority.
Greater than any political leader.
Sword: Common NT metaphor the Word of God.
Jesus as the incarnate Word
Jesus judges the churches when necessary and punishes with His Word.
Note: The church knew about these threats to their faith.
Obvious and relatively straightforward.
We know the obvious threats in our culture to our faith.
Understanding the Risks
Satan’s throne/city
Commonly considered to refer to a famous altar to Zeus on the city’s acropolis.
Perhaps to the city’s status as a center for the imperial cult.
The demand to name Caesar as Lord was beginning to lead to martyrdom.
Jesus names the source of their tribulation: It is Satan.
Remained loyal
“Holding fast” to the name of Jesus.
They were true their original confession of Jesus as Lord.
Refused to deny - Did not give up the faith/loyalty in spite of persecution.
Name = reputation.
Martyr
Likely Antipas died as a result of refusal to give in.
“remained loyal, held to the name” sounds very similar to martyr.
The church was witnessing to their faith in Christ by their testimony (word and deed).
The church was prepared to meet the obvious threats head on, even to the death.
(This is NOT the blind side hit.)
Hit From the Blind Side
Generally, the complaint dealt with those whose witness did not reflect faith and loyalty to Christ.
Satan weakens the church from the inside out when an attack on faith does not work.
(THIS is the blind side attack.)
We can usually see an external attack coming at us.
Appeals to our self-worship, our temptations, our idols (including sexual) often work.
threats to our sanctification and holiness are worse than the threat of suffering or execution.
These are attacks from the blind side.
Hired by King Balak to curse the Israelites but God wouldn’t allow it.
Instead, influenced the Israelite men to commit sexual sin with Moabite women (pagan).
This lead to idol worship.
Trip up = stumbling block.
Gk. skandalon
Nicolatians - Unclear, but logically connected to the actions of the followers of Balaam.
Name means “conqueror of people.”
Summary would be that the Pergamum Christians were being influenced to attend pagan temple feasts (food sacrificed to idols) and then participate in ritual temple prostitution.
Long a prohibition from the elders of the early church.
Paul calls this food offered to demons.
Jesus rejects this completely.
These practices lead disciples away from faith in Christ and damaged their witness.
Be Prepared
Inaction is sinful, too.
Interesting that the threat of consequence isn’t limited to those practicing evil but also at the church for tolerating it.
The fight is based on knowing the Word.
Not giving up on loving people or the Lord (see Ephesus) but on knowing how to love them enough to confront sin and recognize it in ourselves.
The answer isn’t difficult.
When we discern the threat, we are prepared to defeat it.
Just like a blind side guard sees the defensive player coming at him.
It’s not a surprise.
A New Name
Manna
White stone - tesserae
White - purity, absolution of sin, grace
pebble, voting pebble.
Had the name of the person being voted for on it.
Could be black (against, conviction) or white (for, acquittal).
Maybe to allow entrance?
Given to victor in the games allowing them to live at public expense for the rest of their lives.
New name -
adoption into the family of God?
New name at citizenship in the realized kingdom?
Name that is exclusive to the individual.
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